The surname Moreton is a habitation name; derived from one of several places so named in England and Scotland. The place name was made up of the Old English elements "morr," meaning "marsh, or moor," and "tun," meaning en enclosure or settlement.

Early Origins of the Moreton family

The surname Moreton was first found in Wiltshire, where a Robert de Mortone was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for that county in 1130. As this name was formed from several different place names, entirely different lines of the Moreton surname arose throughout Britain. Other early records of the name include: William de Morton, on record in 1218 in the Feet of Fines for Oxford; and Thomas Morton, on record in the Feet of Fines for Surrey in 1432-33. [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) Another source states: "Cardinal Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor, temp. Henry Vii., was probably a descendant of the Norman knight. " [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print. Over in Lache-Dennis, Cheshire another early record of the family was found. "Ancient records mention a manor of Lach-Dennis or Lach-Park, near Rudheath, which, in the reign of Edward II., belonged to the Moreton family." [3]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Early Notables of the Moreton family (pre 1700)

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Morton (c.1420-1500), English prelate, statesman, and Archbishop of Canterbury (1486-1500); and Sir George Morton, 1st Baronet (died 1662), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1626, supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War... Another 125 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Moreton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Moreton family to Ireland

Some of the Moreton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Moreton family to the New World and Oceana

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Moreton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Moreton, who landed in New England in 1663 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

Edward Moreton, who settled in Barbados in 1685

Mathew Moreton, who settled in Virginia in 1698

Moreton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Moreton, who landed in New York, NY in 1804 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

Francis James Moreton, aged 18, who landed in America in 1885 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

Reynolds Moreton, who arrived in Iowa in 1885 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

Henry I Moreton, who arrived in Iowa in 1886 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

John Moreton, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia[5]CITATION[CLOSE]State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817

William Moreton, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia[5]CITATION[CLOSE]State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817

John Moreton, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "America" on April 4, 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia[6]CITATION[CLOSE]State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829

Henry Moreton, English convict from Essex, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on August 08, 1849, settling in Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia[7]CITATION[CLOSE]State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia in 1849 with 303 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1849

John Moreton, aged 23, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "Escort"

Contemporary Notables of the name Moreton (post 1700)

Raymond Claude "Ray" Moreton (1942-2016), New Zealand rugby union player who played from 1961 to 1965, member of the New Zealand National Team (1962-1965)

Jacques Henri Sébastien César Moreton, Chabrillant French Field Marshal during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 [8]CITATION[CLOSE]Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, May 6) Jacques Moreton. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html

Jacques Aimard de Moreton de Chabrillant, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 [8]CITATION[CLOSE]Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, May 6) Jacques Moreton. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html

Moreton Frewen (1853-1924), English writer on monetary reform, Member of Parliament for North East Cork

^ Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

^ State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817

^ State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829

^ State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia in 1849 with 303 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1849

^ Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, May 6) Jacques Moreton. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html